BodyShop Business announced the winners of their annual Executive of the Year award yesterday at the Collision Industry Red Carpet Awards Breakfast presented by the Society of Collision Repair Specialists and BodyShop Business. The breakfast was one of many collision-related events happening at the SEMA Show.

The Single-Shop Executive of the Year award went to Michael Bradshaw, owner of K&M Collision in Hickory, N.C. Bradshaw is a second-generation body shop owner and manager who helped his parents grow the business from a small repair shop in the early 1990s behind their home to a $10 million-a-year-plus, state-of-the-art collision center that holds numerous luxury OEM certifications, including Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and many others.

Bradshaw was also noted for being a staunch advocate for safe and proper repairs, demonstrating a willingness to help other shops by educating them on proper repairs unconditionally, asking for nothing in return. Even more, having an unconditional belief in doing the right thing, no matter what the cost might be.

The Multi-Shop Executive of the Year award went to Matt Ebert, founder and CEO of Crash Champions. Ebert grew his first shop from a single Chicago storefront to a present-day, coast-to-coast network of more than 570 collision repair centers across 35 states and Washington D.C., with each location being built on his values and championing customer service and a people-first culture. He was also singled out for his passion for charitable giving and participation in the National Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides program, the NABC First Responder Emergency Extrication program, Feeding America and Make-A-Wish.

BodyShop Business has been honoring collision repairers with the Executive of the Year award since 1984. The winners of these prestigious awards all have the same traits: they are true collision repair “visionaries” who have experienced great success through innovative thinking, overcoming challenges and persevering.